Lesson Plan 2: Traffic Light Words

Traffic Light Words

Developmental Levels: Early, Developing, Fluent 
Trait: Organization of transitional words

As students begin to develop their writing habits, it is important that they include transitional words within their writing. This lesson plan helps the students become familiar with transitional words and how they can use it in their writing. 

1. Start with a previous lesson plan that included procedural writing. E.g. "How to Blow Out Birthday Candles":

1. Make a wish
2. Take a deep breath
3. Blow out all the candles on your cake

2. Then, together with the class come up with words that can replace number 1,2 and 3. Then re-write using the transitional words.

3. Show the students the "Traffic Light Words" chart and get them talking about traffic light and what each light means (e.g. green go)

4. Complete the chart with the students by adding transitional words to each section.

5. Extend this lesson by :

 a) having the students work in pairs and re-write a "how to" piece using a green light, yellow light, red light word. They are also to circle the words with the matching colour (green, yellow, red).

b) having the students go through their writing folder, circle the words with the corresponding colour and add it to the chart using post-its. This chart is to be displayed in the classroom at a child's eye level.

It is also important to always come back to the chart after reading a book that included a transition word, when students learn a new transitional word and other learning moments. This chart is only effective if the teacher is consistently referring back to it and the students are using it when writing a piece.